Closure assembling machine



oct. s, 1943. L. 1. FANK 2,331,269

CLOSURE ASSEMBLINGMACHINE Filed June 7, 1941 2 sheets-smet 1 PatentedOct. 5, 1943 UNITED vsrrrrffrglsv P cLosUREAss'EMBLING MACHINE Lewis I.Frank, Lancaster, Pagassig'nor to Armstrong Cork Company, Lancaster,Pa., a corporation ofaPennsylvania v n Application' June fz, 1941'seiia1 -N, fisso e cieimsi'- (c1.- -11sso This invention relates. toclosure assembling machines and, more particularly, to closure as#sembling machines including means for separating liners not disposedinclosures from closures carrying liners. f

Closure assembling machines are well known in the art and are disclosed,for example, in` Nagy Patents Nos. 1,931,294 and 2,069,897, grantedOc-4tober 17, 1933 and February9, 1937,respectively; It will beunderstoodireferenceto such patentsis by way of illustration only and isnot to beconstrued in any way as limiting theapplication of my inventionto similar or other types .of closure assembling machines. Suchkmachines generally comprise an assembling unit and suitable means tofeed liners and closure shells separately to such unit. Adhesive meansaretf provided to dispose adhesive -in each shell. Plungersare-generally provided in-the assembling unit Pto force a liner in analigned shell and to hold the liner kin en'` gagement therewith untilthe adhesive'has set to a suiiicient degree to bond theliner totheshell; The plungers are then raised and the closures are removed fromthe assembling unit. f f f Such-devices are adapted .for rapideconomi-,- cal production of closureslbut arefsubject to seri'- ousdisadvantages. Frequently,y a liner 'is fed v,to theassembling'unitfwhen a shell isznot'in posi; tion `to receiveit andsuchwliner's are subjectedto the same operations as closures carryingliners and are removed from-the assembling 'uniti'.with

such closures. DuetoiA the 'extremelyvhigh rate of lproduction'fwhichpermits only scant inspe tion; many of f such' loose liners are packagedwiththe closures. This, ofcourse, is disadvantageous'. The usermaybelieve the liner: has fallen from a closure and hence questions theef. cacy of the bond between the closure andV liner or mayspend.considerable` time in attempting to discover the closure withoutailiner 'Whichyof course, could not seal. The chief disadvantage residesin the fact vthat such liner during transf portation and handling maywedge ina closure over a liner bonded therein; the capping mecha; nismsare adjusted torclosures carrying only a single liner and thisexcessthickness may require the application of so great capping pressurethat the container may be broken or crushed.

The chief object of my invention isvto provide an improved closureassembling apparatus fin which the disadvantages discussed above areeliminated. An object of my inventionis to provide a closure assemblingdevice which positively prevents loose liners being commingled with theclosuresfand ensures yseparation of vlooseliners before the air -jetandas they pas'sfbefore the .let l l areiblown froinfthe Wheelinto anysuitablere-v ceptacle thus separating closures carrying fliners`carrying liners in theassembling unit. l This invention; relatestofclosure-assembling machines in which a plurality of s tariwheelsareand-. closures; A1` furtherlobl'ct fis to provide means in combinationwithj the plunger; Pirassembling.. machinesv which serveito removelooseor-unsecured4 liners while the plungersretainclosures J carrying linersinf predetermined position.

A still further object is to provide a jet.,through which@ `strewn yofcompressed uid mayow; t@ ejectloose liners while securely retainingclosures adapted to feed liners and closure shells toan assembling unitwhich includes a rotatable or'whe'el and a plurality of plungersadapted-to dispose liners in f shells and to i hold them iny en gagementtherewith until the adhesive has set to a i-sufcient degree to bond theliner to the closure.

Ani airjet';is disposed; ata predetermined point about the peripheryofjthe drum and means are provided Vto raise the -plungers to releaseloose linerswhile retaining closures carrying'iinersin predeterminedposition. Thus the v vheel rotates,iloose linersare releasedatorimmediately and loose,liners. rThe closures are then released,removed from the assembling unit and `are packe aged.A L.. s Thisinvention further relates toa method o f assembling liners and closures`in which theliners areheld -in closures by means of movable plungers,in ywhich theysteps comprise moving the -plungers suiiciently to releaseloose liners butinsuftlciently t0, release closuresv carrying liners andinjecting iluid to remove the loose linerss` The attached1 drawingsillustrate a preferred y @Figure 3I is a sectional View illustrating thev liner Vejecting mechanism` in conjunction with the assembling unit;V

:Figure 4 isa fragmentary sectional view i1lus`- trating the pressureplunger in lowered .position retainingthe closure'in positionv on thedrum. ff Referringv to the'drawings, there is illustrated in,` Figure 1a'star. Wheel 2 `for feeding :closure shells 3,to an assemblingunitdesignatedfgen.-

erally at 4 and a second star Wheel 5 for feeding liners 6 to the unit 4in alignment withv the shells 3. Hoppers (not shown) are provided forthev reception of the shells' 3 and liners 6 and suitable mechanism isprovided to feed the liners and shells to the star Wheels and disposethem in pockets thereon. Means are, of course, provided t actuatethestarwheels 2 and 5 and the assemblinglunit 4.' .'f f

The assembling unit 4 (Figures l and 2) comprises a rotatable drum orWheel I having dis-V posed about its periphery an upper ring 8, a lowerring 9, a, base I0 and an intermediate partition II. The Abase I0 isprovided with an annular recess IOa for the receptiono'f shells, Apl`urality of vertically movable plungers I2 are disposed at intervalsabout the drum 1 and extend through the rings 8 and 9, and' thepartitinIl.`

A helical spring I3 surrounds each plunger-'I2 and is held, preferably,between a shoulder I4 on the I2 sndftheuppernngs. The'piunger's 12 :arenormally heldli "do'vvriw'ardp'sii'firi'.V The endsA'I5nf-ftl'ie*pluri'gefis I2 are square and th'rc'gh fs'quare`ip'eriin'gs I'6 in the 8i. "Rollers :H Larelnioi'iritedv theuppij 'endsof `tiieplurigers1'I2-for a pupose'hereinaftr Idescribed. A nt asuitable point 'about the periphery 'cf the'drumlis imiunt'e'd a cam I8adapted to raise the plunger's'lbythe rollers I'I ijl'dig theredverfasshown in Figure 2; aThe 'cam CVS is soientoured-as to raise the plungersI2'a-'dissumc'ie'ntto {release-,loose liners butinsuthcieritly releasevclosuresV carrying liners lrid lt'hnfto fraise the plungers I2 to-anext'ent siililcient `to release" tlie'cl'osrs carrying liners. guide I3isprovided to remove the vasseiibled `2!! fromthefassembling-unit 4 Fand-lea-d tliei'n to a chute 2| ldown/which theyslide biarenr'ge'd'tolaiconveyoi- (notshown) which barriles them to asiiitable`place ior packaging for?4 further .fbricating.- l f l pointbftheperiphery f lthe `wlierethe plungrs I2 are raised to release -l'seliners, is disposed tligline Ie'ectirig mechanism dei'ghated generally'at 2 2. fMechansrn 222 f, "Support 23 "iited-'n the faielvk fblidevieeand fl'aviiig" aQriV Opening l214 thei. adapted-tamme s slide 2s. iDisposed :wenn 4the opening 24 is a helical spring 2B adapte-dtoiirgethe'fslide e25 twa'idly Onan end vfof the slidee lis a Irn'erriber21 having a "chaintraa therinfsnd en efs'ening :z sfextenaingffrcmthycliainber 12816 an exteriorV sii'fa'c'e f -th member-21. The chamber28'is 'connecte `to @suitable sourceofrfiuid under pressuralfforfxample,compressed lair, -byj a' hose 30 threa'ddly connectedVtoftliei'xne1nberi2fl 'by aA bushing.

Returniilg'nw 'tothe ds'slfibllrlg unifQtWlll benoted by reference to-Figres 3 and '4- tliat a l'i'rizontal conduit'vl is `provided y'in the"intere rear Vsurfacethereof. A second vertically ex'- tending conduit32 is provided in the partition S-co'nn'ecte'd Vto the 'conduit' 3lVfand aligned Nwith asimilar conduit 3'3'provided in the base' I0. 11Aplurality. oft horizontally 'extending conduitsl are also provided inthe base I0 and serve "to ccnnect the conduitv 33 with the recess Illaini the base I0 in which the plungerszI 2 hold the rloose liners :andclosures carrying liners. It =Wi1l 'be understood similarconduits areprovided around the periphery. of the drum 'l'adjacent each plunger.I2.The slide is `yieldingly urged 'outward against the surface of thepartition 9 -in lsuch manner sthat, `as the fdrum 1, rotates, 'eachconduit tion by the plungers I2. Figure 4 shows the plungers 'I2 vinlowered position to retain loose liners and closures carrying liners inthe recess wie. fw.- rTQ aid in Va full understanding of my invention, Iwill describe the operation of the device.

Shellsiand-lines E are fed from hoppers (not shown) te star wheels 2 and5 which carry the shells@ and liners 6 to the assembling unit 4 anddispose th'em in aiigninent'thereon "as `shown in Figure' '2. ltwill'ber understood fsuitableadfre'sive applying mechanism maybe disposed atany s'uitable place along `the lperi-plfrerylof star wheel 2 to placeadhesive in the shells .3.. zTh'erpiungers I2 of 'th'e 'assmblingunit '4aren'or-mally *heldin downward position by the ysprings i3 vbut areadapted to beiaised'by `the yf'cain I.. rIheshelis 3 I'and liners 6areisposedin alignment on the drinn 1 of 'the assemblirigfunitl-alongthfe periphery of the drum "lwhiletlieplungers'i-Z are inraisedpo'sition. '-Kgainreferrin'g to'Figure 2,i-'t 'will be noted theliners tifare disposed in `the partition 8 immediately"abovetdpeningstherein while the sheilsfx'iaredisposedinfthe recess-10a in the base Il'aligmfner-it therewith. Thus, as each .plung'er l2paesfcam.ld-,itsspringfi uiige's -it `downward-'ly Afc'icing.- eachA liner lthrough thelpening 1in the partition 9 -and into a\shell-8. .plungeisI2" hold liners 6 inengagementwith shells 3 asfsiiownin-Figurefl 'untiltheiadhesive therein Ahas set 'tc aisuficien'trdegree :to bor-rd theliner to the jl Occasionally, liners lare forced downwardly finto therecess 40a and Jheld therein by 'plungers y'HZ when 4shells V3 have Inotbeen disposed to receive them. The-term loose linersA or ldisks.`isjusedherein tomdenote `Such f-skippers 'erf liners not disposedvirl-shells.

As the drum 1 rotates, vthe plungers` I2 Iheld/the shells -ca'rrying-disks iand disks not. placed in shelisi-n the recessda in -tlcel basei0 '-,andfsuoh objects aremoved tforwardinthe direction -of 'the Varrowl(see Figure ll to. 1av positionfadjacent the cam I8. As -thepl-ungersapproach kthis position, the rollers I'I rideenthefcam |18 and are movedupwardly, raising the plnngers ft2 suiliciently 'to release liners notdisposed in shells: but insumciently -to -releaseshellscarryingliners'risN shown in vFigure -3.: :Such :upward movementof the plun'ger's i 2 compresses springs'fl Ito someexterr't. Theljet 22'is disposed' at thispoint faboutz the peripheryof the druin' I and;preferably,fcortm ,-uously. emits -riid under pressure, `rsuch fascour-` capping containers.

Upon further rotation of the drum 1, the plungers l2 are raised to asuiicient extent to release the shells carrying liners and the completedclosures 2D are guided by the guide i9 from the assembling unit 4 to achute 2| down which they slide to a conveyor (not shown) which carriesthem for packaging. As the plungers reach the high point of the cam I8,they abruptly leave the camkand are urged downwardly by the springs I3forcing liners 6 into shells 3 and the process is repeated. It will beunderstood the process is continuous since similar plungers l2 aredisposed at spaced intervals about the periphery of the drum 1.

My invention provides a mechanism and method which positively ensuresseparation of loose liners and closures in closure assemblying machines.The mechanism is simple, economical,

, and ecient, and may be easily applied or combined with existingequipment. It prevents commingling of loose liners or disks withcompleted closures in packages for shipment and thus obviates variousdisadvantages involved in In addition, a considerable saving is eiectedby the recovery of loose liners or disks and their subsequent use withshells.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it willbe understood my invention is not limited thereto since it may be other-Wise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In closure assembling apparatus including plungers for holding linersin engagement with closures, the combination of means for raising saidplungers to release liners not disposed lin closures While maintainingclosures carrying liners in predetermined position, and means forejecting released liners from the device in a substantially horizontaldirection.

2. In closure assembling apparatus, the combination of means to disposeliners and closures in alignment on a rotatable wheel, a plurality ofmovable plungers disposed on said wheel adapted to dispose the liners inthe closures and to hold them in engagement therewith, means for movingsaid plungers to release liners not disposed in closures Whilemaintaining closures carrying liners in predetermined position, andmeans to eject liners not disposed in closures from the wheel while theclosures carrying liners are held in position thereon by said plungers.

lll

closures carrying liners, and a jet through which a stream of compressedfluid may be urged to eject liners not disposed in closures from `thewheel.

4. In closure assembling apparatus, the combi- ,l nation of star wheelsadapted to dispose liners v and closures in alignment on a rotatablewheel,

a plurality of vertically movable plungers mounted on said Wheel adaptedto dispose the liners in the closures and to hold them in `engagementtherewith, a cam adapted to raise said plungers a distance suflicient torelease liners not disposed in closures but insuflicientto releaseclosures carrying liners, and a jet disposed at a predetermined pointabout the periphery of saidwheel through which a stream of fluid ispassed to eject liners not disposed in closures from the wheel.

5. In combination with closure assembling apparatus including arotatable Wheel having a 'recess therein adapted to receive closures, aplurality of conduits extending through a Wall of the Wheel totherecess, plungers for holding liners in engagement with closures,means for moving said plungers to release liners not disposed inclosures while maintaining closures carrying liners in predeterminedposition, and a stationaryjet disposed adjacent said wheel in momentaryalignment with each conduit as'the Wheel rotates adapted to inject fluidin the recess through said conduits to remove from the wheel liners notdisposed in closures. o

6. In a closure assembly apparatus, a closure support, a plunger toapply pressure to an assembled closure shell and liner disk positionedon said support, means'V for moving said plunger away from said supporttov permit removal of an unassembled liner disk disposed on said supportbut insucient to permit removal of an assembled closure shell and liner,and means for eject-V ing in a substantially horizontal direction anunassembled liner from said support when said plunger is moved.

LEWIS I. FRANK.

